


buy you a drink

by geekintheblack



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi, and as always, i love these nerds very much, no betas we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 07:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14996060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geekintheblack/pseuds/geekintheblack
Summary: “I have a boyfriend.” It slips out easily, even though it’s a fairly new thing.Kara tries to hit on a pretty girl at the bar and gets more than she bargained for.





	buy you a drink

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo this is pretty much inspired by and based on [ this tumblr post by karalovesallthegirls ](http://karalovesallthegirls.tumblr.com/post/174151245153) . Hope you guys like it!

Lena turns around slowly, the refusal already on the tip of her tongue. She pauses for a moment as she catches sight of the blonde woman who’d just slipped into the vacant seat beside her at the bar. She’s not bad to look at - scratch that, the woman is gorgeous. It doesn’t change her answer, however.

 

“I have a boyfriend.” It slips out easily, even though it’s a fairly new thing.

 

She had met James at a business event and they’d become fast friends, though at first she had sensed a bit of hesitation on his side. It was only when they went out for drinks for the first time that she’d learnt of his past in Metropolis and how it connected to her brother.

 

They’d gotten past it, thankfully. It had still come as a surprise when he’d asked if she’d like to go out for dinner sometime, maybe as more than friends. At that point, it had been almost a year since Sam, and she felt ready to dive into something other than a new business venture.

 

Currently, said boyfriend is also fifteen minutes late and she has already fended off two men way past tipsy. At least the woman in front of her seems to be in full control of her mental faculties.

 

“Ah, golly,” the woman laughs, a bright if slightly awkward smile gracing her lips, “he can get one too, but it’ll have to be small, I hadn’t budgeted for that.”

 

Lena stares, unable to understand her reaction. _Did she just say ‘golly’?_

 

“This bar is a bit on the expensive side, isn’t it? I heard about it from Ms. Grant so I guess I should’ve expected it, huh?” she continues, speaking easily as though Lena’s words were not a deterrent in any way. Almost immediately, she turns to the bartender and rattles off an order.

 

Lena’s soon distracted by a hand on the small of her back, and she’s only startled for an instant before recognition hits and she turns around, already smiling despite the confusing last couple of minutes.

 

“Hey,” James greets her, and his deep voice is warmth that settles deep in her bones. The day was difficult, demanding, but now she feels herself starting to relax for the first time in many long hours.

 

“Hey, you,” she says, kissing him quickly. She’s almost suggesting they ditch the plan for drinks and just go to either one of their apartments for a movie, but just as she opens her mouth, the bartender taps on her shoulder and places two drinks in front of her.

 

She looks back and the woman next to her, who’s yet to introduce herself, is nursing her own drink in her hand, smiling shyly.

 

“Oh,” she says, turning to James, “those are for us. From, uh…” she turns back.

 

“Oh! Oh, geez, I’m so sorry. It’s - my name - uh, Kara. Kara Danvers.” she stumbles through her words, adjusting her glasses a few times and Lena can’t help but find it adorable.

 

“Kara. I’m Lena, this is James,” she says with a small smirk, looking at her boyfriend, who’s slightly bewildered by the sudden introductions, “The drinks are from Kara. For us,” she adds with a meaningful glance, finding it extremely amusing how confused James looks.

 

“Ah, thank.. you?” he says, and it takes a few seconds before he’s fully recomposed. “I mean, yes, thank you. Uh, would you like to join us?” he asks Kara, sneaking a glance at Lena and not seeing any protest from her.

 

“Sure! Yeah, uh. there’s a table right there-“ she says excitedly and points at a quiet corner. They follow her and settle into the booth on one side while Kara sits opposite from them.

 

Surprisingly, the conversation flows easily after a couple of minutes of awkward small talk. The couple soon discovers Kara is a rookie reporter for CatCo Worldwide Media, and James feels very late in his realization that this is Kiera, Cat’s assistant turned protégée, who’d been promoted a couple of months before he’d arrived to National City to take up the role of CEO.

 

It figured he’d never seen her around at an editorial meeting - Snapper most likely had her buried in research and other support activities for more senior reporters. Kara admits she had recognized him as soon as he’d come up to greet Lena, but she’s still reeling from the knowledge that this is Lena Luthor, billionaire CEO of LCorp. And, well, Lex Luthor’s little sister, but Kara’s not a huge fan of judging people for the actions of others.

 

She almost groans out loud as realization hits her. Alex will have a field day when she finds out her little sister - with her rookie reporter salary - had bought drinks at an upscale bar for the two most powerful people of National City.

 

It’s only when the bar goes oddly quiet that the trio, mid-laughter, realizes most patrons are long gone and the last few are either stumbling towards the door or passed out at their tables, with exasperated employees attempting to wake them up and kick them out. Lena’s eyes widen in shock when her phone screen lights up and show how late it is - her time at work tomorrow, or rather, later today, will be absolute shit. Poor Jess.

 

Another few minutes pass before they’re standing on the sidewalk outside the bar to say their goodbyes. Kara’s shiny new business card is tucked into the pocket of Lena’s coat and she waves at the girl, feeling James wrap his arm around her shoulder and do the same. Kara had only gone after a promise for drinks again sometime soon. Lena can’t help but hope this won’t be a one off.

 

James shares a cab home with her and she kisses him good night - or good morning - still laughing from his silly stories he makes up about the people they see still walking around on the street. If she wasn’t feeling warm all over from spending time with him, she might’ve realized she’d spent the entire ride playing with the card in her pocket.

 

-o-

 

Barely two weeks have passed when James stumbles on Kara at CatCo. Literally - the stack of papers in her hands and his tablet all go sprawling on the floor and both are all apologies and bending over to collect their belongings. James hands her some papers and she mumbles out a thank you, her cheeks pink. It’s nice to see her around, he thinks, and then decides on a whim to tell her so.

 

A few hours later, he’s lounging on the chair in his office, watching the screens and taking notes when his phone chimes. Apparently, he and Lena both got an invitation through text for drinks at Noonan’s. Instinctively, he know what he’ll say when his girlfriend calls him in a few minutes.

 

“Hey. Yeah, I’ll meet you in thirty?”

 

-o-

 

It goes on for a few weeks. They go from drinks to pleasant dinners at small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, then at each other’s apartments. Dinner turns into movie nights and game nights with plenty of beer, potstickers and laughter. Lena and James find themselves including Kara in their plans without a second thought. It’s fun, it’s freeing, and although they love each other - have said the words, even - when it’s the three of them, it feels different. It feels like it’s brighter, fuller - it feels like more.

 

It takes a while, but sometime around one month mark, it hits James with striking clarity. He will admit at a later date that he panics a bit.

 

If Eve noticed his frenzied pacing through the office, she says nothing. His hands shake and he loosens his tie as if it would help anything. As if he weren’t suffocating in things immaterial, like denial, and desperation, and love. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

 

He’s in love with Kara Danvers.

 

He turns to his desk then, looking at one of the newest frames there - a picture of him and Lena during a day off at the park. He squeezes his eyes shut as if it could make anything better at all.

 

He loves his girlfriend. Loves her brilliant mind and her nerdy interests, loves her tenacity and the vulnerability he’s honored to be shown. Loves her dressed to the nines and in threadbare college shirts, loves her as his peer and as his best friend and as the woman who loves him back so beautifully.

 

He also loves the girl they befriended together, spent time with constantly and included in their lives so wholly he can’t possibly imagine it without her.

 

Shit.

 

 

-o-

 

A few days go by and James alternates between panic, anger at himself and a reluctant happiness that comes when one finds out there is brand new love in their heart. Lena notices, of course she does, and he has no will to lie when she asks him about it, late at night with her head tucked in his chest and her hands scratching at his day old stubble.

 

There’s almost a full minute of silence, but suddenly Lena is shaking in his arms and he curses himself in disgust at having made her cry. Only, she’s not crying, but laughing. Laughing at him? He doesn’t truly understand.

 

“So am I,” she says, her voice low and rough from so much laughter - and from other activities earlier in the night.

 

He doesn’t really register her words for a few moments. “Huh?” is all his genius brain manages to string together.

 

“I’m in love with her too, Jimmy.” Her eyes are sparkling at him in a way that makes his breath catch, and when he understands the full implications of what she just said, his breath catches again for another reason entirely. “So what are we going to do about it?”

 

-o-

 

Their hands are tightly intertwined the entire way to Kara’s apartment. It’s foreign movie night - a flimsy excuse for Kara to order a mountain of junk food typical of whatever the chosen country is. The cabbie announces their arrival and James practically shoves the money his way while Lena comes close to ripping the door off in her haste to get out. The elevator ride to Kara’s floor has never seemed longer and the couple meets each other’s eyes every few seconds, nervousness evident on their faces.

 

Kara’s wide smile when she greets them at the front door falters a little when she sees how tense they look. Lena knows she’s very close to _sweating_ , and she quickly makes a quip about how many delivery boys must already be on their way. Kara laughs, James lets out a breath and Lena realizes her calm, composed boyfriend had been seconds from maybe passing out.

 

They eat, and talk, and laugh, and watch a handful of italian movies. The hours pass, and when Kara stands and takes the pile of empty styrofoam containers to the kitchen, Lena taps James’ arm and questions him with a look. He takes a deep breath and nods, taking hold of her hand with both of his.

 

Kara notices the tension is back as soon as she walks back into the living room. James and Lena had relaxed since their arrival earlier, but now they seem just as fidgety as they were when she greeted them. She mutes the TV and stands in front of the couple, arms crossed and crinkle showing firmly between her brows.

 

“You guys are acting weird tonight.”

 

“We, uh-“ James hesitates, looking back at his girlfriend before facing Kara again, “we had something we wanted to talk to you about.”

 

Kara’s face is a mixture of confusion and hesitance at this point.

 

“What- what did you want to talk about?”

 

“It’s… it’s us, Kara. We wanted to talk about us.”

 

Kara’s eyes widen instantly and her arms fall loosely to her sides.

 

“Are you guys breaking up with me?”

 

The silence that falls upon the small apartment is deafening. Lena and James are frozen, unsure of how to process this. Kara looks at one then the other, repeatedly, and every time eye contact is made, hers seem to widen even more.

 

“What- I mean, did I do something wrong? I don’t… I don’t get it,” she says, grabbing a fluffy cushion from a nearby chair and squeezing it gently like Eliza taught her, plopping down on the nearest available surface.

 

She really doesn’t get it.

 

When she approached the stunning woman at the bar, she’d never expected that by the end of the night she’d be smitten with both the woman and her boyfriend, but she’d adapted. She wasn’t a stranger to the possibility of this, her sister Alex had once been in a relationship with two people, though she knew the rules and boundaries and dynamics could be different from one relationship to another.

 

Either way, she was willing. So when she invited the couple out for drinks, hands shaking while she typed her message, she just hoped she wasn’t making a fool of herself. When in the following days James and Lena had started to invite her instead, she thought perhaps that little moment of courage had paid off.

 

Both became constants in her life. It was thrilling, to have found people to rely on, truly rely on, other than the adoptive family that had taken her in years ago. They never spoke of what they were and that was fine by her. She’d figured they were just as new to this as she was, and had decided to take it slow. So very, very slow. But that was fine, too.

 

Maybe she’d figured it all wrong.

 

“Darling,” Lena says, and Kara’s heart finally cracks.

 

It sounded so special when Lena called her darling, just like she did James. Maybe she was one of those people who called everyone by a pet name, and Kara had just been too swept up in her own feelings to notice that.

 

“Were you…,” she paused, “did you feel as if the three of us were, well, together?”

 

James has yet to close his mouth.

 

“I… It’s stupid. I’m sorry, I-“ she pushes herself off her seat and throws the cushion down at it, grabbing a lone empty can of soda from the coffee table. She heads for the kitchen, her cheeks red from pure embarrassment and _oh, Rao, please don’t let me cry, this is bad enough already_.

 

“Kara, wait,” James finally speaks, grabbing her arm, gently, so gently, and she stops immediately. Her desire to go find a hole to bury herself in doesn’t outweigh the unwillingness to hurt him. “Please, can we just start this conversation over?”

 

“Darling, we did want to talk about us. Please just hear us out, ok?” Lena pleads and Kara relents.

 

She moves back to the seat she’s just vacated, plays with the can in her hands and doesn’t dare to look at James or Lena. Her eyes are miraculously dry but she feels on the verge of tears anyways and she focuses on keeping herself together.

 

The couple shares a long look as they, too, settle back on the couch. It’s James, now, who decides to speak for them.

 

“Look, Kara, in the past couple of months, you’ve become a huge part of our lives. And I- _we_ like to think we had the same impact on you, too. But, yes, I guess we’ve both been a bit slow on the uptake.”

 

Silence. Lena squeezes her boyfriend’s hand and speaks.

 

“Today as I was leaving the office, I told my secretary that James and I were meeting a friend later, and it just felt _wrong_. Not that being your friend could ever be wrong, or not enough,” she hastily adds, “but lately, or I guess it’s always been this way - it feels different.”

 

Kara is still not looking at either of them but her shoulders have relaxed a bit and James motions for her to keep talking.

 

“So we… We’ll, I guess we-” but she’s at a loss for words, and it’s James who finishes the thought.

 

“Kara, if you’re willing… if you’re _interested_ , we were wondering if you’d like to go on a date. With us, officially.” he says, and Kara finally lifts her gaze to meet his.

 

“Really? You’re serious?” she says, and there’s a twinkling of hope, of joy in her eyes that chokes him up too much to answer.

 

“Serious as a pie eating contest, darling,” Lena says, and her stupid heart soars at Kara’s answering giggle.

 

And of course, because it’s Kara, they’re suddenly engulfed in a tight, tight hug while she says that _yes, yes, of course_ , and they all laugh when she points out she’d thought she’d already accepted this a while ago but _sure_ . And foreign movie night ends without any more movies, but it might involve a few kisses - _we’re way past the third date, you guys just didn’t know that yet_ \- a few confessions, and joyous warmth because this is it, the part that had been missing, what they already had but hadn’t found yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Tried my best as always, please let me know your thoughts.
> 
> You can also yell at me on tumblr: geekintheblack.tumblr.com


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